Shaka Bry - Mercadia Falling

W here are you going? Mom?

Its Monday, I think. Yes, it must be. Moms got work today. Is she really going in, though? Couldnt she call in sick? Or call in that shes got a traumatized kid? Does it count as bereavement if your daughters boyfriend is missing?

Jonahs not missing. Hes dead. Tommys twisted friend killed him, and now hes dead. Jonahs dead. Hes dead and hes a mermaid and hes a dead mermaid and hes dead.

I was just going to the bathroom, dear. Are you all right?

No. Never.

Fine, I say. Can you check the doors again?

Shes gotta be annoyed by my asking. Ive had her double, triple, quadruple, and multiple quintuple-check them. Though I wonder if she did her due diligence every single time Ive asked. I wouldnt have. This time, she pretends not to have heard me, and the bathroom door closes behind her.

I cant wait for her to pee, so I slink over to the front door, careful to stay low of the window. Not that I think a meth head could take me out with a shot through the glass. Not that I dont trust the policeman sitting at the end of our driveway to handle any intruder before he stepped foot onto our property. Not that I think any of Tommys druggie friends might own a gun. I assume if they had, they would have been packing that heat on the beach Saturday night. But what the hell do I know about anything? Mermaids are real and Jonah is one! Or he was one before he got killed. Everything Ive ever thought to be fiction or fantasy is now suspect.

The bolt is secure. I give an audible sigh. The cops have yet to locate Tommy, which is insane because hes a worthless, homeless drug addict. How many places could he hide out?

After I gave a description of Tommys friends obscene face tattoos, the detective seemed hopeful theyd locate him.

For Gods sake, how long does it take?

Im crouching low against the wall when I hear the toilet flush. As I crab crawl back to the sofa, the doorbell rings, and I flatten. Mom comes in and sets me on the soft cushions.

Its just Detective McCreary, Jennie, she says. Its all right, sweetie.

It is so not all right. If Mom only knew the truth, what would she do? Shed probably check me into a psychiatric center, thats what shed do.

Could the police have found Tommy and/or his accomplices? Is this good news on our doorstep? When Tommy dragged me away, those two other junkies split. For all I know they got in their car (if they even have one between them) and drove for Mexico or Canada, maybe? Sure, Canadas closer, but arent all drugs manufactured south of the border?

After wed put some distance between us and the scene of what may or may not have been a crime (Im still not one hundred percent certain what I saw, and I guess thats what I would attest to in a court of law), Tommy calmed me down. It took a good deal of talking on his part. Honestly, I didnt ever know he had it in him. In all the time wed been together, he hardly spoke more than three or four words at a time.

He tried to convince me Jonah was all right. He tried to convince himself (I think) that he hadnt just witnessed my boyfriends legs grow scales. He repeated these things till he was blue in the face before I finally pretended to believe him. At least, I think I was pretending. I dont know. But eventually, my bout of solid acting got me out of there. It got me away from him. I played along and he drove me to the end of my street. From there, I walked home and collapsed onto my bed. I stared up at my bedroom ceiling, barely blinking, until the sun rose and Mom came in to find me there. Thats when I first asked her to check the locks.

Why? shed asked.

And thats when I told her.

What did I tell her?

I said that Jonah and I were at Markys, and we went for a walk on the beach, and Tommy saw us, and he and Jonah fought, and Jonah ran away.

I told her that!

Because Tommy said no one would believe me if I told that Jonah turned into a mermaid and floated away. So I went along with the story. Mom and I went for a walk before breakfast and I cried on her shoulder. I was so out of itsleep deprived and facing a mental breakdownI even thought I saw Jonah drive his car past us on the road.

Jonah was a missing person. Officially. After twenty-four hours without a trace, the police slap that less-than-ideal distinction on your ghost. Maybe now that its been thirty-six, Detective McCreary is here to tell us hes dead for realsies. That he washed up on the beach overnight. That his own lifeguard buddies fished him out of the water. That his body is in a lab somewhere getting dissected, analyzed, and shipped to the Museum of Natural History for display.

Good morning, Mrs. Carpilla, Detective McCreary says as Mom holds the door open for him. The patrolman who has been sitting in his car all day enters behind. Jennie.

Why are you here why are you here why are you here?

Somewhere on the more rational side of my wildest imaginings, I realize we wouldnt be the ones being told news of Jonahs demise. Theyd go to his parents and from there, they would disseminate the shocker however these things are disseminated. I guess theyd call me personally. I know Jonahs mom a little. Shes super nice. I just cant bear to think of her hearing it, and then having to live with it, and then telling me about it, and oh! I might faint.

There have been some developments. Wed like to follow up on a few things.

Okay. Can he hear my teeth chattering inside my head? Are they? Something is.

You told us that you and Jonah ate dinner at Markys Restaurant on the pier Saturday night. Its been confirmed by others who saw you there.

The lesbian and her lover. Scandalous.

You said that after your meal, you and Jonah went for a walk on the beach.

Thats correct, Officer. I know hes a detective. I flubbed it. Is that bad? Does he see through me? Am I guilty? I didnt do anything. Jonahs a mermaid!

And that you bumped into your ex-boyfriend, Tommy Chezputt. There was some arguing, and they fought. Thats when Jonah Detective McCreary removes a small notepad from his jacket pocket and flips through it. Its ninety-nine degrees out today and this guy is dressed for fall. Im sorry. You said he ran away? Is that right?

Mm hmm, I say.

Is that a yes?

Yes, yes. Yes, your honor. Oh my god!

Im sorry, what is this about? Mom tries to save me. Its no use. Im toast.

Which direction did you say?

Whats that?

I asked which direction Jonah ran. You said he ran directly up the beach toward Crestview, correct?

Yeah. Is that what I said? Then yes. Because I remember wed left his car at Markys, and it was weird of him to abandon it.

And abandon you, young lady.

Right. Yeah. And me. I had to walk home. All lies.

What does this have to do with that menace, Tommy? Mom asks. I told you that boy was no good, Jennie. I always told you. Have you found him yet? You should lock him up for doing drugs and being a public nuisance! He scared that poor Jonah to death, probably! Where is he?